


Rookie- Leon Kennedy X Reader

by zoedanielle



Category: Resident Evil
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-11
Updated: 2019-10-01
Packaged: 2019-11-15 18:11:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 19,887
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18078482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zoedanielle/pseuds/zoedanielle
Summary: Originally posted on Tumblr.You wanted to be anything but the rookie. You’re excited to hear about a new recruit, but the day before he starts, chaos spreads through the city. You call him and tell him not to come in, but here he is, a week later. Looks like you’re no longer the rookie after all.





	1. Chapter 1

Being the youngest of the Raccoon city police officers had its perks; you could always find help and guidance from any of the other officers. Their teasing, on the other hand, wasn't a perk. You've been called rookie more often than your own name and you've been pranked at least once a week. When you found out about the new recruit, who was going to be your partner, you were overjoyed. It would be his turn to be the rookie; he would have to deal with the pranks. As much as he'd hate the teasing, you knew he would grow to love each and every officer, just like you did.  

The Raccoon City Police Department was a family about to welcome its newest member. The entire precinct buzzed with excitement as they joined together to hang the sign and streamers from the ceiling. Tomorrow would be the new guy's first day, so they wanted to have the decorations ready before their shifts ended. It was Marvin's idea to make him unlock his desk, just like he did with you on your first day. You looked around at your friends and coworkers, trying to savor one of the best moments at the station. Little did you know, it would be your last. 

The momentary bliss came tumbling down when one phone after another started ringing. Every single phone had its own number of people on hold. The warm feeling in your stomach switched to panic as every officer rushed to their cars. Lieutenant Branagh made you stay behind with him to handle the phones, since you were still the rookie. And so you had to watch the city slowly crumble around you. Instead of answering another panicked citizen, you made sure to call the new recruit. He didn't answer.

"Leon Kennedy? This is y/n from the Raccoon City Police Department. Just stay away from here, alright? Stay away from the whole city."  
You prayed he would listen to the message before leaving his house tomorrow morning. 

Your prayers had been answered; he didn't show. The next day was filled with chaos. Cars upon cars lined the streets in front of the police station, with people running towards the gates. You and a few surviving officers were in charge of escorting them safely to the station. It was then that you learned what the city was up against; the undead. Many officers and civilians were lost that day, and you weren't soon to forget it. Sadly, that was just the first of your trials. 

After one week, all that remained in the precinct was you, Branagh, and Elliot. Everyone else had succumbed to the virus. Elliot had been raving about some secret exit of the police station; you didn't believe him. You were more focused on getting rescued. 

Little did you know the new officer, Leon Kennedy, made it to Raccoon city. He had been bewildered by the message you sent him and his curiosity got the best of him. He learned quickly that he should have heeded your advice.

The static of the radio you had on began.  
"Y/n, Marvin, you there? I found a way out." Elliot started, clearly in a struggle. "Send reinforcements! East hallway!" Even though you were across the building, you dashed towards the east hallway. 

After what felt like forever, you finally reached the east hallway, but it was too late. Elliot laid motionless on the floor, or at least what was left of him. A man kneeled over him, panting quietly. At first, you thought this man was a zombie. You drew your gun and aimed, until he threw his hands up. Zombies don't do that. Shocked, you lowered your gun. He wasn't a survivor you recognized. 

"Who are you?" You asked the stranger. He didn't have time to answer before a gurgling growl came from the corpse of your colleague. The stranger jumped over the body towards your side of the room. You instinctively pointed your gun at the zombie, but had trouble pulling the trigger. Marvin told you to shoot everyone who had turned, regardless of who the used to be. At first you agreed, but, in the moment, it was so much hard than you could have ever imagined. You stared back at the face that brought you Chinese take out on your first day, the face that would smile at you every morning, the face of the man who searched tirelessly for a way out of the precinct. All your most treasured memories with officer Elliot Edward flashed before your eyes, but you had to shake them away. You didn't have time to mourn, you had to end this. So, with teary eyes scrunched closed, you pulled the trigger. Then you grabbed the stranger's hand and ran. 

As you sprinted through the hallways, more and more of the undead began chasing you. The slide-up door connecting to the lobby was getting closer and closer. Finally, you reached the door. It wouldn't budge. The stranger noticed your panic and helped you. 

"You go first." He said to you. So you lowered yourself onto the blood covered ground and began crawling under the door. You could feel the foul smelling liquid stain your shirt and pants as you made your way to the other side. The stranger followed suit, shimmying through the blood under the door. You held onto his arm and helped him get to the safety that was oh-so-near, when a grey, rotting arm grabbed at his ankle. Although the arm looked as though it's muscles had rotted away, it pulled at the man's leg with an inhuman strength. He yelled and grasped onto your arms as you tried to pull him to safety, but you struggled to match the strength of the creature. Still, you wouldn't let up that easily. Straining your eyes closed, you pulled on his biceps one last time. There was no longer a force pulling the man back. Instead, their was a cracking and splattering sound. You opened your eyes to see your superior, Lieutenant Branagh, standing over the two of you. He scowled as he clutched his bloodied side, an injury he got just before you and Elliot left to look for food. The door was now shut, brain matter and ratty hair staining the floor. 

"Who is this?" Marvin asked you as he studied the new guy. 

"I'm Leon Kennedy... your new cop" The stranger said between breaths. It couldn't be, you told him not to come here. "There was another officer... I-I couldn't ... I couldn't" he stammered our. 

"Elliot." You said quietly. "Elliot didn't make it." Marvin looked down at you, his face fell when he registered what you said. 

"I'm sure you did all you could do." He tried to reassure the both of you, but it was unconvincing. An uncomfortable silence filled the room, aside from the distant groans from some of the creatures still lurking in the station. The stillness ended when Marvin ordered: "Y/N L/N, give the new recruit his uniform. And clean yourself up while you're at it." You looked down to your blood covered shirt and understood what he meant. Searching through some of the remaining supplies, you found the uniform for Leon and a spare shirt. Leon was waiting behind you.

"I called you when all of this started and told you to stay away. Why didn't you stay away?" You asked him as you handed him his uniform. He looked surprised as he searched for an answer.

"I was worried" he began. "The message you left me was weird and I knew something was wrong. I couldn't just forget about it."

"And look at what it got you." You replied. "I'm gonna find somewhere to change, you should too." You walked behind one of the medics room dividers, assuming no one would see you, and stripped of your shirt. The stained material stuck to your skin as you peeled it off, leaving a layer of bloody residue on your bare skin. As much as you wanted to wash it off, you knew the water was a no-go. It was linked to the infection a few days previously, and has since been feared. Instead you blotted away the sticky residue with the back of your old shirt. Turning around to grab your new shirt, you locked eyes with Leon, who wasn't aware you were changing. His eyes went wide and he quickly turned around. 

"I am so, so sorry. I didn't know you were back here," He apologized. You threw your fresh shirt on and quickly walked past him. 

"You could've waited your turn."


	2. Chapter 2

"Does anyone know what started this?" Leon asked, adjusting his new elbow pads. 

"No clue." Lieutenant Branagh said as he studied Elliot's recently retrieved journal.

"But we know how it's spread. The dead carry it, of course, but the drinking water is also off limits. Stick with bottled water." You said as you tossed one to Leon. He caught it and gave a small 'thank you' before taking a sip.

"Hey, I've got to show you two something," Marvin began. "That Officer you met earlier, Elliot, thought this secret passageway might do the trick." His bloodied fingers pointed at the diagram in the journal.

"We can get you help," Leon said to Branagh. 

"No, I am not the priority here." He said, shaking his head.

"We can't just leave you-" you began. 

"I'm giving you and order, Officer L/N. You and the rookie are leaving without me," Marvin cut you off. You were stunned. It was the first time he called you 'officer' instead of 'rookie', but it was nothing like you imagined it to be, not in this context. Even though Marvin was gravely wounded, it never crossed your mind that you would have to leave him. You didn't think you could even do it, for he was the last of your friends. More like a father figure than a friend, but still, he was the last person you cared about. Despite his order, a small voice of hope sang in the back of your mind; you would save Marvin. He would survive this tragedy. And that little ray of hope is what carried you on. Marvin put down the journal and trudged over to Leon. "And don't make my mistake; if you see one of those things— uniform or not— do not hesitate to either kill it or run." Leon studied the firm look on Lieutenant Branagh's face.

"Yes sir," Leon replied. You picked up the blood stained journal, looking at the illustrations that covered the pages. One doodle looked like the statue right in front of you. Some drawings reminded you of other, smaller statues around the precinct. Then you connected the dots: statues, codes, three holes in the large statue. This whole thing was a puzzle. 

"Hey Leon, come look at this." You said. The blonde walked over to you and gazed at the page. "It's a puzzle." Leon scrunched his face.

"A puzzle? In a police department?" He asked.

"Well, it used to be an art museum." You began. "That statue is just a floor above us, and I think I know where the other two are." With that, you and Leon retrieved the first medallion and went searching for the others.

Leon held his gun out in front of him as he slowly crept into the next room, which you knew was the office. You were behind him, scanning the hall for any unwanted visitors. Leon swing open the door and you entered after him. Stars and streamers hung from the ceiling, and suddenly you remembered the bittersweet moment they were hung. It stung to look at, because it tainted your last good memory of the precinct. Leon scanned the bloody room for any creatures; there were a few corpses but none of them moving. His flashlight caught the glint of the decorations and it grabbed his attention. He lowered his gun as he stared at the sign. You watched him stand there motionless for a few moments. In the dark room you could barely make out his lip starting to quiver. He let out a shaky breath, shut his eyes, and looked down. 

"It wasn't supposed to be like this," you said, placing a hand on his shoulder. He looked to you, the tears shining in his eyes.

"I know," he said quietly. There was a pause as he looked at the remains of some of his would-be colleagues. "I just... I wish things could be different." When he said that, a tear of your own fell. You wiped it away. 

"Me too." You began, trying regain your composure. "Marvin left you something at your desk, you're gonna need it." Leon walked over to the only locked desk. There was a note carefully taped to it; he ripped it off and read it. His hands shook slightly as he finished reading the note. You already knew what it said. 

"Enter in MRG and NED" you said. Leon began fumbling with the locks. "For Marvin, Rita, George, Y/N, Elliot, and David." You voice creaked as you said the last part, because you knew what happened to all of them. You picked up the note while waiting for him to finish. The note was partially covered by a bloody handprint. You turned it over to see a newer message written between drops of blood. 'Be glad you aren't here rookie.' You wondered who could have written that eerie message, or when they did it. It didn't really matter, and part of you didn't want to know the answer, so you crumpled the note and threw it into a trash can. 

"I got it." Leon said as he opened up his desk. On the desk was a nameplate and a gun attachment. He connected the attachment to his gun and picked up the nameplate, studying it. You hadn't known Leon Kennedy for long, but you knew his mind was preoccupied with what could have been.

"You would have been a great cop, Leon." You said to him. He let out a sad laugh.

"You think?" 

"Yeah, everyone would've loved you." You said, thinking back on the bittersweet memories of your coworkers. "If we get out of this alive I could tell you about them." 

"I'd like that." 

You and Leon explored the more of the RPD building, fighting many zombies in the process. As you walked through the dark hallway, you heard the familiar cries of a horrifying creature. No, it wasn't a zombie. It was much worse. You instinctively grabbed Leon's arm and pulled him back. He looked to you, confused, and you put your finger to your lips to tell him to be quiet. His brow furrowed at you, until he heard a scratching of nails inch closer. His eyes went wide as he stared at the skinless humanoid crawling across the ceiling. You knew killing it was a risk, so instead you slowly took a step forward. Leon looked at you like you were crazy, but did the same. Step by step, you two sneaked further down the hall and to the door. You were almost there when a small cracking sound ruined the silence of the room. You looked back at Leon, who looked at you, then down to his shoe. He had stepped on a piece of wood. The creature snarled, scanning the room for the cause of the sound. It jumped off of the ceiling, slowly creeping toward you and Leon. You instinctively reached for his arm and held onto it. The creature was only a few feet away now, and your heart was beating so hard you were sure it could hear it. You were afraid to breath, afraid to move. Suddenly, a screeching zombie came tumbling through the halls. The creature ran towards it, and you and Leon ran towards the door. 

Entering the next room, both you and Leon let out a sigh of relief. 

"What was that thing?" He asked. 

"We don't really know what they are, but we call them lickers. I don't think they can see, but they have perfect hearing." You told him. 

"So there's zombies and monsters in this city." 

"Sadly." You replied, looking around the room. In front of you was a statue. "You still have that journal?"

"Yeah." Leon pulled out the journal and handed it to you. You put in the code and a bronze medallion fell out of it. 

"We just need one more." You said.

"Before we go looking for the next one, shouldn't we go check on the Lieutenant first?" Leon said, almost as if he was reading your mind. 

"Yeah, I think we should." You said. The way back to the main hall was luckily much less dangerous than the departure from it. You and Leon walked down the stairs towards Marvin. 

"There you are. Come here, take a look." Branagh said to Leon. The security footage from outside was displayed on his laptop.

"Yes! I knew she'd make it." 

"You know her?" Marvin asked.

"Yeah. I came into town with her." 

"Wait, there's another survivor?" You asked as you walked over, looking at the blurry figure on the monitor. 

"Y/N, take him to that courtyard." Marvin ordered.

"Yes sir."


	3. Chapter 3

A flash of light shone through the distant window of the door at the end of the hall. Along with it, the whirring of an engine coming closer. 

"What the-" You were cut off when the ground below you rumbled as the helicopter made impact. The sudden collision knocked you off your feet, but before you had a chance to fall Leon grabbed your arm and pulled you back up. Your eyes met his.

"Thank you." You said. Leon looked away. 

"It's no problem." 

"What do you think that was?" 

"No idea." He exhaled. "Can this night get any weirder?" 

The two of you ran towards the door to the courtyard. You opened the door and walked into the rain. Swirling black smoke came from the side of the building where the helicopter crash took place. Leon pointed his flashlight towards the place of impact, revealing the true extent of the damage. Electrical sparks lit up the rubble. One thing that caught your eye, though, was the pilot. He was slumped and completely still in his seat, almost disturbingly peaceful. The image of him would forever be burned into your mind. A female shout brought the two of you out of the trance.

"Leon?" The woman called. When he heard her he ran towards the railing. 

"Claire!" Leon shouted down at her. "Hold on, I'll be right there!" He rushed down the wet stairs, you close behind. The woman stood at the fenced door, jiggling the knob. Leon approached the woman. "Claire, it's so nice to see you."

"How're you doing? That helicopter just came out of no where." She replied, fingers digging into the chain links. You stood behind them as they talked, uncomfortably rocking on your heels. For some reason, this girl made you feel inadequate. Even through the dark of the night you could see her beauty, and how easily she clicked with Leon. Then it hit you. He was a very attractive man, but you never saw him in a romantic light until now, when he was flirting with another girl. Funny, you thought. You were an adult woman, and this wasn't high school, so you shook those thoughts away. Romance had no place here.

"Oh, and this is Y/N. She's a cop too" Leon said, trying to include you in the conversation. You took a step closer to the door and smiled at her.

"You're a cop?" She asked, her entire demeanor changing. Instead of leaning on the fence, she was now standing straight.

"Yes, I am." 

"Do you know my brother Chris Redfield?" She pleaded. You nodded. "Do you know if he's ok?" Chris Redfield worked in a different office from you, but it wasn't uncommon to see him in the station. He was pretty well known around the precinct, which is what confused you as you tried to remember him in any event from the past week. There was nothing. You didn't remember seeing or hearing from him since the outbreak began. She stared at you intently.

"I don't know. I haven't seen him at all recently." You finally told her. She slumped her shoulders when you said this. You scrambled to reassure her. "But don't lose hope, I'm sure he's ok. I bet we can find him." As soon as the words left your mouth, the helicopter exploded behind you. Pieces of fiery rubble fell from the sky and onto the ground, leaving trails of smoke in their place. The station's fire alarm went off, waking many undead visitors and attracting their attention. Leon cursed under his breath. 

"You know what that means." He said.

"Yeah, dinner time." She shuddered.

"You should go, Claire." Leon noticed the zombies approaching her. She pulled her gun out of its holster. 

"Don't worry about me, Leon. You take care of yourself." She replied. The zombies were closer now, some shaking the fence. 

"Claire you need to go—Now!" He said to her. She turned around to face her enemies. 

"Let's get through this, all of us." She whipped her head behind to look at the two of you, and then she walked away, her form fading into the darkness.

Now many zombies took the place of Claire, tearing at the fence. You and Leon walked back inside the building in silence. There were no zombies to be fought inside, or so you thought, which made it all the more uncomfortable. 

"So are you two... a thing?" You finally spoke up. It took Leon by surprise.

"What? No. I just met her tonight, actually." He stammered. "What makes you think that?" You thought for a moment. 

"Oh I don't know." You began, still walking down the hall. "Maybe it was the way she was leaning against the fence." Leon quirked a brow. To demonstrate, you leaned extra seductively on the wall and said in a breathy tone: "Oh I'm just... surviving." Leon laughed. "Oh Leon, you got a key in one of those pockets?" You continued. He laughed some more, his cheeks now pink.

"I think you're just reading too into it." He said, giving you a smirk. You opened your mouth to retaliate, but nothing came out. Leon laughed again as he passed you. 

"I am not!" You yelled at him. Leon laughed louder. He looked back at you, his smile quickly dropping as his eyes widened. 

"Y/N!" He yelled, but it was too late. Teeth sunk into your shoulder, breaking the skin and some of the flesh underneath. You screamed both in horror and pain. A gunshot whirred past your shoulder, hitting the zombie in the forehead. The creature that appeared out of nowhere jerked back and released you from its grip, You ran toward Leon. He finished the job and turned to look at your wound, but you wouldn't let him. 

"It can wait," was all you said. And so you two continued walking through the station. 

It was the first time since the outbreak started that you let your guard down, and you were hurt for it. You were ashamed, for no other police officer would have been so careless. And you should have heard it coming; zombies aren't very quiet. You were an officer now, for goodness sake, not a rookie. Leon was the rookie and so far he had been more careful than you. You continued walking down the hallway in silence. Leon noticed the demeanor change, how you stood much farther away from him now, always on edge. He watched a few drops of blood cascade down your once white shirt.

"You're bleeding," he began. You didn't look back at him. "I've got bandages on me, please let me patch you up." 

"I said it can wait." Leon wasn't a stupid man; he knew not to push any further. So, he changed the subject. "I think the next statue is upstairs," 

The next medallion was much harder to get than the others; you had to use explosives to get to it. But now, with all three medallions, you finally felt hopeful again. You made it back to the lobby, Leon at your heels. On the familiar couch lay Lieutenant Marvin Branagh, asleep. Putting the medallions into their places on the large statue, you watched the layers of stone move away to reveal a secret room and elevator. Leon grinned at you, for there was a real chance of survival now. You couldn't wait to show Marvin and get him to safety, so you walked over to his couch. 

"Marvin, it's time to go," you said shaking his shoulder. He jerked up, an animalistic growl emitting from his throat. He snapped out of the trance, panting.

"We gotta get you to a hospital, now," Leon said. Marvin's eyes darted around the room. He finally registered what Leon said.

"No, no... I...." he began, still breathing hard. "Save yourselves." He turned away from Leon. 

"Come on, I've got you." Leon grabbed Marvin's shoulder, but Marvin shook him away. 

"Go!" 

"Look we can still make it out of here togethe-" Branagh pulled out his gun.

"It's too late." His voice cracked. "I-I tried, but I couldn't stop it." Marvin looked to you, his gaze softening when he saw the tears in your eyes.

"Lieutenant..." you said softly.

"Officer Y/N L/N, believe me when I say every single officer in this precinct would have wanted you especially to survive." Marvin choked out; you approached him. "You're our rookie." He smiled at you. A tear escaped your eyes. For so long you fought to be called anything but rookie, but now, it was the only thing comforting you. You weren't able to save any of the other officers, and now you were being ordered to leave your lieutenant behind. He was like a father to you, strict but kind, and always there to listen. And he wanted you to leave him and carry on. You couldn't; he was all you had left. "Please Y/N, save yourself." Another tear fell. You closed your eyes and took a deep, shaky breath, using all your strength to keep a little composure.

"I can't. Not without yo-" you were cut off.

"It's an order!" He barked, before coughing again. A hand grabbed your wrist, it was Leon. 

"Please Y/N, we have to go." 

"Give me a minute!" You yelled at him. Leon stepped back. You turned to look at Marvin, his skin looked paler and was covered in sweat. But his eyes held the same intensity as they always did. So many memories flooded your mind, so many ways to say goodbye, but all you could muster was a weak "Thank you...  for everything." He looked into your eyes as if to tell you he knew exactly what you wanted to say. With all the strength you had left, you kissed him on the cheek, stood up, and walked with Leon into the chamber under the statue. You turned back around to look at him for one last time, the stone walls moving back into place. It was the last time you saw lieutenant Branagh alive; he was the last of your precious colleagues, the last piece of raccoon city you had left. And you gave him up.


	4. Chapter 4

Leon watched as the last sliver of bright light faded when stone re-obscured the hidden room. 

"I think I'm ready to get patched up" you said to Leon. "Since we're safe now" Leon glanced at you in the dim light. Your eyes were still red from crying, but your voice felt cold and detached. 

"Of course." 

There was a mahogany desk in the small, circular room, and you laid your back against it. Leon searched through the many pockets on his uniform for the first aid kit; a sigh of relief escaped his lips when he finally found it. He sat across from you, preparing the materials. You paid him no mind. You looked around the room, glancing at the bookshelves and sculptures, doing anything to distract you from the lead weight in your heart. There were no more tears left; the few you shed moments earlier were all you had. Now you were filled with a feeling of emptiness, of purposelessness. A strong burning sensation took you out of your thoughts.

"Ouch!" You yelped as Leon pressed an alcohol covered cloth to your wound. 

"Sorry, should've warned you." He replied, his breath in your ear. You hadn't realized how close he was until now, when all you could feel was the hot breath on your neck. You two stayed silent for a while; Leon was focused on your wound and you were trying to ignoring his proximity.

"I'm sorry for snapping at you earlier," You began, "Twice." He let out a weak laugh, still cleaning up your wound. His hands were gentle, touching you as if you were glass.

"You don't have to apologize," He paused, "I know this has been a lot for you. And to be honest, I probably would have done the same." There was something about his presence that made you open up, maybe it because he's seen all sides of you in such a short time, or maybe it was something else. 

"Y'know" you started, still trying to put your thoughts together. "All I wanted was to be a good officer. I wanted to make everyone proud, and I wanted them to stop calling me rookie." You paused, looking Leon in the eyes. "I think deep down I've just wanted to prove myself capable, but for what? There's no one left now, no one to please. All I fought for was them, and now..." your voice faded. "and now I don't know what to do." Leon was stunned. At first, he didn't know how to reply. He gathered the right words and spoke up. 

"Nonsense" he looked into your eyes. "You've still got to train me, and I think you're qualified to do it." 

"Leon..." you looked away from him. "The Raccoon City Police Department died. There's no more officers, no more rules, it's all gone."

"Does that mean I've been let go my first day on the job?" He asked, still trying to lighten the mood. You admired that about him. 

"You're funny" he finished wrapping your shoulder and moved to sit beside you, his back leaning against the desk. "Y'know..." You paused, taking a breath, "You were gonna be my partner, and I was so excited about it because it meant I wasn't the rookie anymore. I wondered what you'd be like, or if we'd get along." you ran a hand through your hair. "Now that I know we do, every part of me wishes that would have happened."

"Me too." He exhaled, pulling his knees up to his chest. "Both of us wanted to prove ourselves." You looked up at him as he paused. "I always dreamed of being a cop, but I guess that died too." You grabbed his hand in your own. 

"I bet we can both find another police station to work at," you reassure him. He gave a sad smile. 

"I don't know if I can go back to a normal job after this. They wouldn't understand."

You hadn't thought about it that way. You knew the outbreak was only local but did other areas even know about it? Would you have to live your life carrying the weight of a tragedy that never made the news? You stayed silent for a moment, thinking through your future, if you even had one.

"We should apply together. Then we could be there for each other." He heard you but stayed silent for a while, seemingly in thought. Then, he rose from the ground. 

"If you're feeling better now maybe we should get going." He said as held his hand out to you. Grasping it, you got up and dusted off your pants. The two of you walked into the eerie elevator connected to the room, pressing the only button on the wall. The fence door closed and the elevator started down.

The city itself was terrifying, but what was under it was even more so. You had seen zombies in the city, but you saw experiments below the city. William Birkin, as you'd later find out, was your first monster encounter underground. He hunted you down through the maze-like passages of the facility, all of his humanity gone. Meeting him littered both yours and Leon's bodies with bruises and cuts, but you both somehow survived the encounter. Umbrella was the driving force of this city, but it also looked to be its demise. As much as you wanted to believe the company was good, with all of their charitable actions, evidence you found underground proved otherwise. You and Leon pushed through the underground passages, finding a ladder that led back up to the surface. 

Leon lifted the drain cover up with one hand and held on to the ladder with the other. A small ray of light got bigger as he moved the drain cover more. Above him was the parking garage in disarray. He pushed the cover over and hoisted himself up onto the pavement. Many cars were crashed and abandoned, there were a few blood trails and puddles around. It painted a picture of the carnage that took place just days before. Leon scanned the garage for any signs of life, or more fitting, signs of the dead. He turned on his heels, shielding his eyes from the headlights of a car parked against a fence. The coast was clear. Metal clanked from the drain as you climbed up the ladder to join him. 

"Is this the only exit?" Leon asked. 

"Unfortunately." You scanned the parking garage, "And I don't have a key, so I don't know how we're gonna get out." 

"Do you know where to get one?"

"Irons might have one." You hissed his name.   
"He's the police cheif. He ran and hid like a coward when this broke out." Leon's eyes widened. Chief Irons was well known in the Arklay mountain region; he was a well respected figure. 

"Well-uh, I'm sure he had a reason for it. I heard he was a hero." He stammered. You laughed. 

"That man was not a hero. He took credit for what everyone else did. Chief Irons was a waste of space." 

"Maybe you don't know the whole story." He replied. You looked back at Leon, a slight scowl forming on your face. 

"Why are you defending him? You don't even know him,” a hair-raising growl silenced your argument. You looked at the dark, slender four-legged creature creeping up behind Leon. Leon's eyes grew wide as he turned around to look at the creature. The motion caused the half-rotten police dog to charge at him. The dog jumped on him, taking him to the ground. Leon struggled to keep the dogs sharp fangs away from his neck. You aimed your gun at the dog's head and pulled the trigged. No bullet came out. You cursed under your breath and you searched your pockets for more rounds. 

"Take mine!" Leon yelled. His gun was on the ground, just a few feet out of his own reach. Before you could pick it up, though, another gun went off. The dog dropped to the ground next to Leon. 

"Hey," A voice called. Leon looked toward the figure. "Stay sharp." Then, the growling started again. With Leon's gun, you shot the zombie dog in the head. A woman approached, her heels clicked on the ground as she got closer. You pointed you gun at her, and she with you. "Lower it." She sneered. Then, she held out an FBI badge. Hesitantly, you tossed the gun back toward Leon. 

"Thank you," Leon told the woman, "For your help." 

"I'm surprised you made it this far," The mysterious woman spoke. She then turned around and walked away. 

"FBI huh, then what's going on here?" Leon rose from the ground and followed her. 

"That information is classified," 

"Where are you going?" You asked her.  She stopped and turned around, only for a moment. 

"Do yourself a favor: stop asking questions and get the hell out of here." And with that, she walked away.

"Hey, I'm not done talking to you!" Leon called, but the woman didn't look back as she walked through a doorway at the end of the parking garage. Leon looked over to you, confused at the woman's actions. 

"I think that's where Iron's office is supposed to be." You said, pointing at the doorway the mysterious woman walked through. In truth, you didn't know where it was, only that it was connected to the garage. In your whole year of working at the RPD, you rarely visited the lowest floor. 

"Do you think she wants anything from him?" 

"I hope so. I hope she arrests that scumbag. And I want to be there when she does it." 

The doorway she walked through did not lead to check iron's office. Instead, it lead to the jail. You and Leon walked through the corridor as zombies scratched at their cell bars. Leon flashed his flashlight through each cell, becoming more horrified at the monsters looking back at him. 

"What would she be doing down here?" You asked.

"I have no idea." 

You continued down the hall, almost reaching the end, when an unfamiliar voice called out from a cell. 

"Hello?" It was a man, leaning forward on his bed, a cigarette in between his fingers. 

"Hey." Leon said back. The man got up from his bed, smiling. 

"I can't believe it. Real humans!" He walked over to the bars. "Hello humans." 

"How long have you been in there?" 

"Long enough. Are we the last ones alive?" 

"No, no. There's a few of us." 

"Oh, that's good news I guess." The man exhaled. "Unless of course Irons sent you."

"What do you know about Irons? Is he still alive?" You chimed in. 

"Who cares. Hopefully he's somebody's dinner by now." You laughed at that. "He locked me in here!" 

"I'm sure he had a good reason." Leon added. 

"He did." The man took a puff from his cigarette, then tossed it on the floor and stomped out the ember. "I was about to blow the whistle on him. He's corrupt, Y'know? But I guess I would have done the same thing if I were him." A loud creaking noise silenced the three of you. It started at the end of the hall, and sounded as if it were coming closer. The man in his cell suddenly became desperate. "Look. I'll make you a deal. Unlock this cell and I'll give you this." He held out a garage key connected to the lanyard on his neck. "There's no other way out of that parking garage. Believe me." You walked over toward the lock, but Leon pulled you back. 

"You aren't actually gonna let this guy out, are you? He's a criminal, and I just don't trust his story." Leon said quietly to you. You looked up at him, shaking your arm out of his grasp. 

"Well I believe his story, and he's got a key for us to get out. We won’t have to look for Irons anymore.” 

"But we’re officers, Y/N, we still have to follow the rules.” 

"Look, Leon, There are only a handful of people left in the city. The law is dead. The RPD is dead. And if he tries something, we're both capable of taking him out."  The creaking got louder, closer, and the man in the cell became more anxious. 

"I still want to talk to the chief first."

"Look, we're all prisoners in this station. So either we play nice and help each other out or-" The man stopped mid sentence, the creaking now just feet away. "It's coming." 

"What- what's coming?" Leon asked, his hands grabbing onto the bars of the cell. The man backed away and onto the farthest wall. You frantically tried the many keys you had collected so far. 

"Cmon, don't be a jerk... Ok? You need this!" The man held up the key card. "Just get me the hell out of here!"

Bricks and rubble were thrown around the cell as a hand, larger than any human hand, broke through the wall. It grasped around the man's head, lifting him up from the ground. He screamed, his limbs flailing wildly. With one squeeze, the hand squished the man's skull and blood sprayed the cell. You could feel a few drops speckle your face. Then, the hand released the man and disappeared behind the wall.


	5. Chapter 5

You and Leon looked at the man's disfigured corpse. Then you looked to each other, eyes wide and mouths open. Leon held onto the bars of the cell, his heart beating a mile a minute. Then, the familiar clicking of a woman's heels came down the corridor. You whipped around, gun pointed at the woman. 

"Aren't you two looking cozy." She said. You looked down and realized you had grabbed Leon's arm; he pulled away "It's just me, so you can put that thing away." She motioned to your gun. You lowered it as she turned to look in the cell. 

"I don't even know what happened— it just... happened so quick," Leon began, his voice cracked. The woman put her hands on the bars, a pained exhale escaped her lips. Then, she turned back to you and Leon. 

"I told you to get out of here." She began. You could feel the cold stare through her sunglasses. "You wouldn't want to end up like Ben, would you?" 

"You know him?" Leon asked.

"He was an informant. He had information of use to my investigation."

"So what he said was true?" The woman paid him no mind. Instead, she turned around and walked away. Leon wasn't having it; he grabbed her arm. "Hey, you can't keep walking away from us!" She looked down at his arm, and then up at him, before pulling away from his grasp. "We don't even know your name!" 

"I'm Y/N L/N." You introduced yourself to the woman, hoping she would do the same. 

"And I'm Leon Kennedy." The woman studied you and Leon for a moment before replying. 

"Find a way out, Leon. Before it's too late... then we'll talk. And Y/N, you've got something on your face there." You remembered the blood on your face, Ben's blood; You wiped the droplets away. The woman turned back around and began walking away. "Name's Ada,"she finally said.

You and Leon were stunned as she walked away. This woman, Ada, carried herself as if the zombie infection was just a minor inconvenience. She wasn't even that surprised to see Ben dead, she looked more annoyed than anything. This made you wonder: how much did she know? What other things was umbrella capable of? You looked back at Ben's corpse, watching the blood slowly ooze down in puddles, no longer propelled out by a beating heart. His body wasn't what freaked you out, you've seen dead bodies all week. It was the fact that he was alive and talking to you just moments before that really unsettled you.

"Do you think you can pick the lock?" Leon asked, referencing what you were doing right before it happened. You looked down to the bent Bobby pin still in your hands.

"I don't think so," you said. Leon looked around the hall in thought, before his eyes rested on a note that lay on a desk in the corner of the room. He picked it up and read it.

"We've got to go back inside the station."

"Really?" Your brow furrowed. "We just got out of the station."

"We need a part to fix this electrical board." He said, pointing to a square on the wall. You looked at the strange board, and then it hit you: another puzzle. You rolled your eyes.

"Y'know, I always thought this station was so cool and quirky. But now, I'm starting to realize how stupid some of this is. Why so many puzzles? This isn't efficient at all!" You said. Leon laughed. 

"You and me both." 

"If I have to solve another stupid puzzle, my head might explode." You regretted your choice of words as they left your mouth. Leon's eyes widened as he looked at you, so shocked he almost laughed. You, just as wide-eyed as him, looked back at ben's corpse and cringed. "I'm a horrible person." 

You and Leon found your way back into the station through a passageway previously unknown. Rain pattered on the roof and came in through the broken windows, droning out the cries of the undead. It felt like a nightmare, walking through the same old halls you used to love, and now loathed. Still, there was an air of peace to it all. There were no zombies chasing or grabbing at you. For a moment, you were safe. And then you heard it: the familiar sound of claws scraping the ceiling. Except they weren't slowly approaching, they were running toward you. Leon stood frozen, hoping that it wouldn't hear him. But you knew it heard. It always does. Without thought, You grabbed Leon's shotgun from his back and killed the creature, filling its head with steel balls. Leon jumped at the sound of the shotgun and the screams of the licker, but you were unfazed, jaded even. He looked at you, eyes wide and cheeks pink, until you turned to look at him and he averted his gaze. 

"What?" You asked.

"It's nothing." He whispered. Maybe it was the adrenaline, or maybe it was something more, but Leon saw you differently for the first time. The moonlight flooded through to broken windows and cast a lovely glow on your form. He shook the thoughts a way, for it was not the time or the place. Still, he couldn't keep from staring.

While he focused on you, you were focused on something darker: was Marvin still alive? What would be more painful: saying goodbye to him again or seeing him undead? The electrical parts needed were on the third floor, so you would have to pass through the main hall at some point. You and Leon passed though another dark hallway, and a familiar stickiness clung to your shoes. Leon looked down at the red ground with his flashlight and grimaced. 

"Does it get any easier?" He asked. You knew what he was talking about.

"Only when you're in danger. Then you forget about it." You replied.

"So you've been surrounded by all of this death, and loss, and blood for a whole week?" 

"I prefer not to think about it." 

"That's not a good way to cope."

"I can cope when we're not in danger." You had a point. Leon dropped it and tried to ignore the sloshing of blood under his shoes. Soon, you approached a metal door. And below it, a pair of legs. Leon couldn't catch a break, could he? It wasn't the first man he watched die that night, but it was definitely the most scarring. His jaw tensed as he felt the adrenaline and emotions of that moment bubble to the surface. He looked at you and could tell you felt the same way. He pulled a lever on the wall and the door slowly opened from the bottom. His eyes focused on anything but the body, anything but the blood. He's seen blood, guts, and gore all night, so why was it affecting him now? Then, a hand grabbed his own. He was pulled out of his thoughts as he looked to you. He couldn't focus on the horror around him. In your eyes he felt both pain and warmth, reassurance and empathy. So he followed you as you lead him through the room, past the body and out the door. He could get used to your hand in his own. 

Hand in hand, you walked down the hallways of the RPD. All the while, the main hall got closer. You and Leon approached the metal door that led to the lobby. He pulled the switch and you waited as the door opened. As you entered, you couldn't help but feel drawn to where Marvin was the last time you saw him. As much as you wanted to avoid seeing his fate, avoid looking into his eyes, your body led you to the back of the hall. 

"Y/N," Leon began, "Its not a good idea." 

"But I've got to know,” You said. Leon didn't follow you any further. You walked up the small flight of stairs and towards the medical dividers that he once sat behind. 

There, on his gurney, lay Marvin. His skin was what a bluish tint, but other than that, he looked peaceful. That was until you stepped closer. He surged up, an animal-like growl gurgled through his vocal chords. You shot him. There was no hesitation, for all you saw was a monster. All you heard was his screeching, your gunshots, and the steady beat of your own heart. Leon gasped and ran toward the sound, for he knew how much you loved Marvin. Even he doubted his ability to shoot Marvin if it were necessary. But you did it. You shot him four, five times before he finally went down. And with a sheet off of a nearby hospital bed, you covered his corpse. 

"You deserve better than this," you whispered. Leon stood behind you, and you turned to him.   
"Is it bad that I don't feel anything?" 

"I'm feeling for the both of us," he said, trying to lighten the mood. You let out a sad laugh. Leon smiled and looked away, but for a second, you could see his lip quiver and his eyes go glassy. 

“We should probably get going." 

So you and Leon headed upstairs. In order to get to the third floor, you had to pass by the crash. By the looks of it, the fire had been put out by the rain. Walking through the dark hallways, you reach the rubble filled area. Just around the corner, you saw the helicopter. Moonlight filtered through the remnants of the walls, giving an almost peaceful look to the crash. It was silent for a moment, completely, beautifully silent. Then, the rubble shifted. You and Leon stepped back as a colossal figure lifted the helicopter and threw it out of the way. It stepped closer, and into the light, so you could see it's leathery blue skin under its hat and trench coat. It was nothing you had ever seen before, nothing you could have ever imagined, and it continued walking. It's loud footsteps approached, and you stood frozen. Then, a hand grabbed your wrist and dragged you down the hall. 

"What is that thing?" Leon yelled back at you as you ran. The creature kept up to you without quickening its pace. You and Leon sprinted though the precinct, only satisfied when you could no longer hear it's footsteps. 

Finding the electrical part was easy, much easier than anything you dealt with the whole night. Leon led the way back down into the parking garage and then into the jail. His flashlight illuminated the dark, damp surroundings. As he and you walked down the jail corridor, Ben's corpse became more visible. Leon had seen gore all night and had sometimes been able to ignore it, but this sight struck a chord in him. Maybe it was because he felt guilty, for he didn’t even try to save the man. He watched as a single fly landed on the man's deformed face. 

"You still have the electrical part?" You asked him.

"Yeah, I do." He said, taking it from his pocket. You took the piece from him and connected it to the board. The cell door clicked open. You took a step forward, wary of the corpse, and Leon followed suit. Kneeling down, you carefully cut the parking pass off of his lanyard. Leon noticed something protruding from Ben’s jacket pocket. It was a tape recorder. He took it from the man's jacket. You looked at him, and him at you. He put it up to his ear, then decided to hold it out for you to listen as well. You both leaned in to the recorder, now only inches apart. He pressed play. The recording began with the dead man's voice.

"But that doesn't explain the rumors about the orphanage. I just find it a little too coincidental that umbrella is one of the benefactors." Then a woman's voice chimed in.

"You told me this interview was about the new scholarship umbrella set up." She sounded annoyed.

"Come on, Annette. Nobody cares about that. They want to know about the G-Virus and the-"

"Where did you hear about that?" She tried to cut him off, but he continued. 

"And that big sinkhole in the city that rumor has it leads straight to your underground lab. No, are you gonna talk to me or?" 

"This interview is over." The recording cut off. 

You heard the rumors about umbrella and the orphanage, but you thought they were just rumors, just stories kids told their friends. But it began to make sense. The orphanage was almost completely funded by the umbrella corporation, and children weren't seen there for very long. The more you thought about it, the more you wanted to throw up. Leon was still beside you, his hand on his chin in thought. 

"So umbrella really caused all this? Umbrella killed this city?" He asked. 

"I always kinda knew it was them," You began, "They acted like a moral company, but there was a rumor going around the station that Irons was being paid to keep quiet." You exhaled, "I guess it's all true." 

Leon got up, and you followed his lead. He left the cell, but you noticed a memo on the small corner desk. It detailed Ben's last days alive and something called he called the 'tyrant' . He described it as a bio-weapon, and you remembered the large humanoid from before. Was it the 'tyrant?' Did it kill Ben? 

"What is it?" Leon asked, taking a step back into the cell. 

"Remember that thing in the trench coat? I think Ben wrote about it." You said, handing him the paper. He read it and shook his head.

"Remember when our worst fear was zombies?" 

"I miss that" you replied. And then, almost as though the universe was calling your bluff, all the cells unlocked. All of the zombies exited their cells. Leon grabbed your hand and ran towards a jail checkpoint, locking the barred door behind him. You two ran through the other side of the jail, and then the familiar loud footsteps approached. Around the corner was that creature, tyrant. 

"Gimme a break!" Leon yelled. Somehow you and him dodged the creature and all of the zombies in your path. You exited the jail and ran back into the parking garage. Safety seemed so close, and then the concrete wall next to Leon shattered, fragments and dust filling the area. There was a silhouette that shadowed the dust, it was the tyrant. The creature grabbed Leon by the neck and lifted him off the ground, just like it did with Ben. Leon squirmed and kicked, struggling to breathe. Your heart was beating in your ears as you tried to shoot the creature. It did nothing. The creature was indestructible, and you couldn't even reach Leon to help him out of its grasp. Then, the whirring of a Swat truck gassed its way into the creature and then into the wall. Leon dropped to the ground, gripping his neck and as he choked and panted for air. You were frozen in place as a familiar woman strolled out of the car. 

"Ada?" You asked.

"This is getting old." She began. "Saving you and him- that's twice!"


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long! I do intend to finish the series and thanks for the support!

"I take it you have the key card" Ada said. She walked and talked like she owned the place and it was really starting to get on your nerves. You pulled the plastic card from your pocket.  
"Good. Let's get out of here." 

You, Leon, and Ada approached the garage gate, and you scanned the card. The gate beeped as it slowly peeled up from the ground. Once it had finished, the three of you headed onto the street. It had been a week, you realized, since you had last been outside the station. The once life-filled city was now desolate and ruined. Cars littered the streets, some on fire, some upside down, and some still parked perfectly in their places. There was a corpse around every corner, searching for its next meal. It was hard for you to tell the difference between your beloved home and a biblical hell. One thing you were grateful for, though, was the storm. It washed away a great deal of the gore and for the first time in a week, you could escape the smell of decay. You walked forward, looking up at the empty buildings around you, when a hand grabbed your arm and yanked you back. It was then that you saw the giant sinkhole you almost walked into. You turned around and looked at Ada. Through her sunglasses you could feel her glare. She let go of your arm and wiped her gloved hand on her trench coat.

"I guess the road's out." You said quietly. Leon let out a small laugh, mostly to ease the tension between you and Ada.

"I should've let you both be victims of natural selection" Ada said, leaving you and Leon in a shocked silence. "Looks like going through that gun shop is the only way." 

The building to your left read 'Kendo's Gun Shop.' You immediately recognized it, as it was the shop the station got its weapons from. The owner, Kendo, seemed like a nice guy the few times you met him, but you didn't know him very well. 

Ada strolled over to the shop's double doors. She knelt down and picked the lock within seconds. It struck you as a little odd that she could pick a lock so easily, but you pushed those thoughts away. She was FBI after all, you never know what kind of skills they need. Still, something was off about her. You've never met an FBI agent before, but you always assumed they would be nicer. 

She opened the double doors, revealing the ransacked store. Shelves were knocked down and ammo scattered the floor. Along with it, bloody boot prints. The three of you walked in, careful not to make a sound. Ada searched for another exit, while you and Leon separately explored the small store. 

Leon was grabbing ammo from the shelves when he heard a sound behind him. Leon knew exactly what it was, it was a gun cock. 

"Don't move" a voice said.

Leon slowly raised his hands, looking at the man from his peripheral vision. "I'm not gonna hurt you."

"I said DON'T MOVE"

You noticed the exchange from across the store, and Leon made eye contact with you. It was hard to see the man behind him, for it was a dark store, but then he stepped closer. It was Kendo, the shop owner.

"Just passing through. I'm gonna need you to lower your weapon," Leon said calmly. He sounded like such a rookie, mindlessly repeating the phrases he heard in the academy. Still, he would've been a great cop. Kendo hadn't noticed you or Ada yet, and you wanted to keep it that way. You approached the two quietly, taking your gun out of its holster in the process. Ada must have noticed as well, she nodded to you and snuck forward from the other side of the store. 

"Like hell you are." The man said. "You're gonna turn around and leave the same way you came in." 

Leon wasn't paying attention, though. Behind the man, Leon spotted a little girl standing in a doorway near the back of the room. She was breathing heavily and could barely hold herself up. Leon knew what was wrong with her. It was the same thing wrong with everyone at the gas station, in the streets, and in the police station. She was only a child, he thought, and it left a bad taste in his mouth. 

"Your daughter needs help, sir," Leon said in a hushed tone. The gun was still pointed at him, and the man pushed it even closer. 

"Don't tell me what to do with my daughter." 

"Drop it" Ada said as she left the shadows, gun pointed at the man. Then, You noticed the child. She looked maybe 11 and was the youngest victim of the virus you had seen. Ada saw her too, and moved her gun from the man to the girl. Your eyes widened as you ran out of the shadows to stop her. Kendo jumped in front of his daughter.

"No, Wait!" He yelled, pointing his gun at Ada.

"Step aside, we need to terminate her before he turns." She said coldly. You felt your heart stop at those words. Did she have any empathy at all? The room grew even more tense. You made eye contact with Leon, who was just as shocked as you.

"Terminate?" The man began "That's my daughter!" He yelled at Ada. From behind him, his daughter stumbled closer. She must have been too far gone to understand the situation at hand. Ada still had her gun trained on the man. 

"Ada" you pleaded. 

"Just let them be," Leon said as he dropped his gun. They both kept aim at each other. You prayed that it wouldn't escalate any further. His child was almost behind him now. 

"Emma, sweetheart, I told you to stay put." He said calmly, but he kept his stance. Watching the two of them made seconds feel like hours. 

"Da..ddy?" The girl mumbled, her eyes a milky white. The man finally dropped his gun and ran to his daughter.

"Daddy's here," he reassured her. Then he took the child, who could turn any second, into his arms. The three of you watched in silence as the man's paternal love beat any instinct of survival. He held her close, staining his daughters shirt in tears. "Those..., those things outside. Look at what they've done to us."  
He looked up and when he notice you and Leon's uniforms, resentment filled the hole in his heart. "You're cops. You're supposed to know something! How did this happen? Huh?" 

His question was met with silence. Neither you nor Leon knew what happened, you couldn't have prevented it either. But watching the man hold onto the hollow shell of his daughter made you feel guilty. You were shocked in place as his angry, mourning eyes searched yours for answers. He looked to Leon, who only looked down in response. The man's watery eyes met yours again, this time they silently pleaded for you to do something, anything to end this nightmare. Then, he recognized you. You saw it in his eyes and his rage built up again.

"You're officer Y/N, right?" He began. "What happened to 'protect and serve,' Huh? You're supposed to protect the city! You were supposed to protect my family!" He caught his breath and looked at Leon. 

"What's DiCaprio doing here?" Kendo scoffed.

"He's a new officer," you replied hesitantly, "He just got to the city." 

"A rookie cop, huh. Well, pretty boy, you should've stayed home because I don't think anyone's leaving this city alive," he paused, "I know I won't." 

The two of you stayed silent. Kendo's daughter, still wrapped in his arms, made a pained moan. A tear fell to the ground as he looked down to her.

"She was our little angel," he said, running a hand through her hair.

"Mommy?" The child asked.

"Mommy's sleeping honey" his voice wavered. "And I'm gonna put you to bed too"

Your stomach dropped. Your heartbeat quickened. You knew it was the only option but couldn't bare to think of it. You couldn't imagine what it would be like for him. He lost his wife, and now his child? Did the world have any justice? In that moment, there was no doubt in your mind that this was in fact hell, where good men suffer and children die. 

The man lifted his daughter up and carried her into the back room, looking back at you one final time before shutting and locking the door. Your breathing quickened. All week you had seen people die, but not any children. You'd seen many people lose loved ones. Hell, you'd lost some yourself. But you hadn't seen a father lose his daughter. Your veins felt like they were on fire in anticipation for a gunshot. Who knew that seconds could creep by so slowly. You took a couple steps back.

And then you heard it. 

It reverberated through the walls and through your ribs and chest. Leon jumped at the sound; your vision went spotty. What you weren't anticipating, though, was the second gunshot.  
No one was. It shook the walls again, and left a thick silence after. You sat down because you knew you could no longer stand. Focusing on your breath was the only thing keeping you composed. Or so you thought. A tear fell down your cheek; You hadn't even realized you were crying, but it didn't surprise you. At this point you knew your emotions were unpredictable: One minute you felt emotionally raw and the next minute you felt nothing at all. Right now you were somewhere in between. Trauma does weird things to people, and you had already accepted that you'd need years of therapy if you made it through this. After a few moments, your vision went back to normal and your heart wasn't beating out of your chest. 

You weren't the only one with unpredictable emotions. Leon too had trouble controlling his. In the long, tense silence that filled the room after the gunshots, Leon's initial sorrow turned into rage. His quivering lip ceased and instead his jaw clenched. He was angry at the world, angry at the virus, but mostly angry at Ada. She knew something, and she chose to keep it from a man with a dying daughter. She listened to him beg for answers but kept her mouth shut.  
Leon didn't care if she was FBI; she was still a human too, and she needed to act like one.

"You know, its one thing to keep the truth from me, but why him?" He asked Ada, a little louder than he should've. She didn't answer. Instead, she just stared at the door to the room the man and his daughter lay.

"Whatever happened here, we've got to stop it. This can't happen anywhere else," You spoke to Ada, "Families shouldn't suffer like this." 

"We've got to find out who caused this and hold them accountable." He replied. "And Ada, you're either going to help us or not." She only stared at him. He held her gaze as he pointed towards the door. "Helping people like them is why I joined the force!" 

Ada paced forward and finally spoke.

"My mission is to take out umbrella's entire operation. We may not take it out." She said.

"I'm in." You said, looking back up at them. Leon looked down at you, then up at Ada.

"Me too." Leon said.

"Then we should get going." Ada said.  
You slowly got up, holding onto a shelf for support. Leon looked over at you. 

"Are you okay?" He asked, which made Ada notice as well. 

"Yeah, just a little shaken up" You said. Although you still felt a little lightheaded, you didn't want to slow them down. It wasn’t the time for that. Now, you had a new purpose, a final mission as a police officer: stop the virus from spreading and punish the ones who created it. That, or die trying. 

You and Leon followed Ada through the back of the shop and out onto the street.

"Ever heard of the umbrella corporation?" Ada asked as she walked. In front of her was the entrance of the sinkhole with ramps and platforms leading underground.

"Y/N told me about them." Leon replied. 

"So you know that they're a pharmaceutical company by day and a biological weapons creator by night?" 

“I’m guessing they caused all of this,” He said, keeping pace with Ada. They walked down the wooden steps and platforms that led further into the darkness.

“Really now?” Ada said sarcastically.

"I’m pretty sure we were in part of their underground lab earlier," You added.

"That lab is where they made this virus,” Ada said, "supposedly they have another one- one that turns people into indestructible monsters." 

Leon looked back at you. "That explains the horrible things we've seen." 

"Yeah, like that guy-or-thing-or-whatever underground. He looked he had some of that monster virus,” you shuddered, “He almost killed us both.” Ada turned around abruptly. 

"You saw what?" She asked.

"A scientist I think. He looked like he was mutating,” You replied.

"That's not good." She said, and for the first time, she sounded worried. "That's why I'm looking for Annette Birkin, so we can stop this thing. She's the one who unleashed the virus, we've got to take her down." Ada stopped at a large circular opening in the side of the chasm. The smell was immediately recognizable: it was the sewer. 

"She's down here?" You asked, not at all hiding the disgust in your tone. 

"She's down here," Ada smiled, "after you.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Basically the whole chapter:  
> Ada: *breathes*  
> Y/N: the nerve...

"According to HQ, this leads directly to umbrellas secret lab" Ada said as she trailed behind you and Leon. Fortunately, you had not reached any water yet besides the small trail at the bottom of the tunnel. Still, the thick stench nauseated you. You bit the inside of your mouth the keep from gagging. They never prepared you for this in the academy.

"But sewers are run by the city. How could they have a facility without the authorities knowing?” Leon spoke up, confused. He turned around to look at you and Ada. 

"Didn’t I tell you that Umbrella paid off Chief Irons?” You replied, “They practically own the city.” 

“I didn’t know a city could be so corrupt!” He said. You shook your head. Sure, he was cute, kind, capable, but so naive. What a rookie. Marvin surely would've gotten a kick out of this kid, just like he did with you.

"Welcome to corporate America," Ada added, a small smile making its way inter her lips. You laughed. Leon brushed off his embarrassment quickly and laughed with you. Gosh, his laugh was cute. You hated yourself for thinking it.

Suddenly, the earth shook below you. Small pieces of concrete fell from the ceiling, surrounding you in a thick dust. Then, it stopped.

"What was that?" You asked, panicked.

"Was it an earthquake?" Leon added, his wide eyes searching the tunnels for an answer.

"I sure as hell hope so," Ada said, and even she sounded scared. Still, she carried on. Leon stepped closer to you and whispered.

"What does she mean by that?" Leon asked.

"I don't know and I don't wanna know either." 

You and Leon turned a corner that lead to the actual sewer. A gated door blocked it off but still gave a clear view of the sewage. Aside from the trash and waste, something else was in the water. It was large, too large to have been flushed. You stepped closer to look at it.

And then it moved. Once again the walls shook and dust scattered around. Leon turned around just in time to see the large, scaly shape wave back and forth with every tremor of the ground. It was a tail.

"What the hell?" He screamed as he stepped back, drawing his gun. The creature vanished before he could shoot, but he had a feeling bullets wouldn't do much. He turned to you, and you to him, and the both of you were wearing the same facial expression.

"Stay sharp! Nobody knows what's down here," Ada shouted as she turned the corner, gun drawn. She was too late. 

You almost mentioned it to her, but you didn't even know what to call it. You were too scared, too shocked to even process what you saw. You hoped it was just a hallucination, but that was unlikely since Leon saw it too. Maybe if you ignored it, it would go away? Something in you knew that wasn't true, and you would face it soon enough. 

Ada led you and Leon into what looked to be the central passage, each of you kept your guns drawn. For some reason, you felt like that creature wouldn't be the last thing you saw in the tunnels. You could tell Leon felt it too. Ada, on the other hand, could not be read so easily. You watched as she kept a fast but steady pace, her gun trained on whatever was in front of her. How she could walk so effortlessly in heels through the sewer, you'd never know. The evenly spaced lights in the tunnel shone beautifully against her sleek black bob. Another thing you wished to know, how she still looked so put together in a situation like this. She’s fought zombies and monsters and still doesn’t have a single flyaway? You couldn't help but find it annoying. 

Ada must have slowed her pace because you and Leon were now in front of her. It was strange to you that she had the directions but let you and Leon lead. Still, you thought nothing of it. There was a stairwell at the back of the tunnel, which Leon ran down. You were behind him, and Ada was taking her time.

The ground shook again, your arms instinctively wrapped around something, anything, and holding on for dear life. You squeezed your eyes shut and waited for it to pass. As the shaking stopped, you opened your eyes and realized whatever you were holding was radiating heat. You turned your head and met eyes with Leon. He looked down to your arms, which were conveniently wrapped around his bicep. Gosh, you really had to stop doing that. It was getting embarrassing. 

"Sorry," you said, taking your arms back. 

"It's, uh, no problem," Leon replied, his hand now on the back of his neck. He was trying, and failing, to hide his smile. 

"If you're scared, Y/N, you could always go back," Ada said from behind you, her arms crossed and a brow raised.

"No chance," you glared at her. She really had the nerve to be condescending with you. Thing is, she’s only been here a day. You’ve been through hell and back all this week, and you’re not afraid of a fight. You put your hands on your hips and glared at her. Leon noticed the tension rise again. 

"I guess you're stuck with us," he joked, then he grabbed your shoulder and ushered you further along. 

The three of you continued on. Ada preferring to stay behind you and Leon, almost as though she wanted you to get the brunt of the harm. That's silly, she probably didn't have that in mind. But you wouldn’t be surprised by it.

Then, Leon stopped. You looked around him to see why. The path ended; the only way to continue on was to jump into the sewer water. Leon looked at you as if asking for a second opinion. You shook your head no. 

"Sorry guys, it's the only way," Ada replied with malice in her voice.

Leon winced and shook his head; surely there had to be another way, but he didn't see any. He really shouldn't have gone into work today. But this wasn't about him anymore. It was about keeping what happened in Raccoon City from happening anywhere else. For Raccoon city, he though to himself. He took a breath and prepared to jump.

"I better not be the only one coming down here," he said. And with that, he jumped.

"Your turn," Ada said from behind you.

"Oh shut up Ada," you replied, reluctantly getting ready to jump. You squeezed your eyes shut and let out a pained exhale. "For Marvin," you whispered, and then you jumped.

The water was cold and the stench was enough to knock a man out. Unfortunately for Leon, when you jumped in, he got a good bit of water splashed at him.

"Ew" he winced as he wiped some of the water away from his face.

You looked back up at Ada, who didn't seem in any rush to get into the sewer. You raised a brow and put your hands on your hips.

"You better be coming in here too!" You yelled up at her.

"These are Louboutins!" She answered. You and Leon both snapped at her, to which she replied, "Just kidding."

The ground shook again, and you and Leon gave each other confused looks. This time, the shaking was much closer. Leon turned around and saw bubbles forming at the surface of the water, growing nearer and nearer. Then, for a moment, it was completely silent. 

The creature burst out from the water, letting out a roar and swinging its head. Leon stood frozen in shock. 

"Y/N, Leon, get out of there!" Ada shrieked from above.

You grabbed his wrist and ran. The creature swam fast, and neither of you could run well in water. 

So this was how you and Leon were going to die, covered in sewage and eaten whole by a giant Alligator. All the sacrifices you and Leon made were for nothing. Every officer's sacrifices for an end to the madness was for nothing. All because of a giant Alligator. Fate was cruel, but Umbrella was worse.

The creature struck, just barely missing you. It's scaly skin brushed against your arm and you screamed, moving closer to Leon. You tried to zigzag so the creature couldn't get to you, but the sewer tunnel was only so wide. The creature prepared itself to strike again, this time, from directly behind you. You pushed Leon out of the way as it barreled towards your last position. You were reaching the end of the tunnel; the creature got ready to strike once more, and you and Leon slid under a large metal pipe just in time to miss the creatures sharp, jagged teeth. The creature bit down on the pipe, but it would break through soon. You were at a dead end now, with no way of escape. This was certain death. But you wouldn’t give up that easily. You looked around you for something, anything to get you and Leon out of this situation. Then, a few words written on the pipe caught your attention "Warning: highly flammable gas" This could kill you as well, but you preferred it to the monster.  There was no time to think, no time to prepare for your own possible death. It was a leap of faith, and you had to take it. You raised your gun, not to the creature, but to the pipe in its mouth. 

"Leon, get back!" You yelled. You prayed he would be ok. The last thing you wanted to do was kill the rookie on his first day. With eyes squeezed shut, you pulled the trigger. 

The sound came first. The last few moments of your life were so fast paced, but now it felt like time had slowed down. A wave of heat hit you, and suddenly you were falling backwards, but you didn't hit the water. Thank God you didn't hit the water, the last thing you wanted, even further down the list than death, was piss in your hair. You opened your eyes, and were met with a pair of ocean blues. He was saying something, but you could barely hear it over the ringing in your ears. He repeated it, this time clearer. You still couldn’t tell what he was saying. 

“Are you ok?” He repeated again. The ringing stopped and you could hear him. As soon as you registered it, time went back to its normal pace. You jumped out of his arms. It wasn’t the best idea, because you immediately felt dizzy and fell again. He caught you.

“Slow down!” Leon said, helping you regain your balance. You weren’t really listening to him.

"I wasn't sure if that would work," you said, looking down. A few chunks of Alligator meat floated around your legs.

"Well I'm glad it did" he replied.

"It was still really reckless. I put both our lives on the line.” 

"I would’ve done the same” 

“Yeah,” you laughed, “Cause you’re a rookie.” He just smiled and shrugged.

Suddenly, a ladder fell from the upper level. It was Ada, who just made it over here. If only she walked a little faster and maybe you wouldn’t have had to blow the creature up.

"You two, get up here!" She yelled. 

"What the hell was —," Leon asked Ada before he was cut off.

"Just get up here!" 

Leon climbed up the ladder, you behind him. Ada led you down another hallway with an elevator at the end. Leon was still breathing heavy from the monster encounter, but he had to say something. He caught his breath.

"You said that virus turned people into monsters, not reptiles!" He shouted.

"Fair point," she paused, "I'm just surprised you made it in one piece.” She had a lot of nerve to say that, especially since she was the one who made you and Leon go down there. She said it was the only way, but it was a dead end. And you and Leon almost died because of it.

"I thought you said going through the sewage was the only way," you said. Ada stopped and turned around. "But this is another way." 

"Well," she hesitated, "I was wrong." No apology, no empathy, only pride. You didn't trust her, but you knew Leon did, and he would be hard to convince. He was too trusting, too nice. He wanted to see the good in everyone, even Ada. You hoped he was right. 

Ada walked into the elevator, you and Leon close behind. She pressed the button with her gloved hand. 

Things still weren't adding up to Leon; he didn't live in this city, so he didn't know much about Umbrella, and he certainly didn't study them like Ada. It was hard for him to believe that a company could be so immoral and a city could be so corrupt. He wondered how far this corruption spread. Did the state know about this too? How about at a federal level? His mind swirled with different theories.

"So let me get this straight. Umbrella sells monsters like that to who? Our government?Our military? Somebody else's?" He asked.

"They don't sell the monsters, they sell the viruses that make them," Ada replied quietly, crossing her arms and leaning back against the elevator wall. "Annette is the one who makes the viruses. As scary as that alligator was, Annette is far scarier." 

"I doubt that," you mumbled. Ada glared at you again. You just smiled. "I don't recall you being chased by the alligator."

She stayed silent. The elevator stopped moving, and the gated door opened. You stepped into what appeared to be a boiler room. Luckily, it was empty. Leon opened a door in the corner of the room, which led to a short hallway. The three of you walked forward, and Leon opened another door, before he walked through, though, he froze. In front of him, a living woman kneeled over a corpse. 

You heard a voice coming from inside the room. Looking over his shoulder, you saw the woman. She wore a lab coat, which meant she must work for umbrella. Ada caught a glimpse of her too, and it was a woman she recognized.

"Definitely William's handiwork," The woman whispered to herself. Then she looked up to see Leon standing in the doorway. He pulled out his gun and pointed it at her.

"Identify yourself," he said. It was another phrase he recycled from the academy.

You pulled out your gun and walked out, Ada after you. 

"Annette Birkin," Ada hissed as she stepped forward.

"Wait, this is who we're looking for?" Leon whispered to Ada. She nodded to him

"Not much time," Annette said. For a woman with three guns pointed at her, she didn’t seem too phased. She got up, Eyes still glued on the fresh corpse. "Need to dispose of it." 

Ada stepped forward again, clearly annoyed that Annette wouldn't acknowledge her.

"We're here for the G-Virus!" She hissed. Annette only snickered.

"That's not going to happen." She finally looked at Ada.

"I'm warning you, doctor." Ada stood her ground. She glared at Annette through her sunglasses, which usually scared people, but not Annette.

"Oh yeah?" She smiled. 

In one swift movement Annette tossed the lighter on the corpse and ran. 

"Stop!" Ada yelled as she ran after Annette, You and Leon were close behind. Suddenly, shots were fired. Before you even knew what happened, it was all over. And all you knew was that Leon was down.


	8. Chapter 8

"Leon?" You yelled, applying pressure to his shoulder with your shaky hands. He didn't respond. Just moments ago he was writhing in pain but now he was still. "Leon!" You yelled again, this time his eyes fluttered shut. Your heart beat sped up, now audible in your ears, as you tried to shake him awake. "You're scaring me Leon!" Why wasn't he moving? You didn't know him very well, but you couldn't imagine making it through this without him. The red stain on his shoulder spread up his blue sleeve and you could feel the hot liquid pool under your fingers.

"He's in shock, he's not dying," Ada tried to reassure you, "He just needs first aid." 

You didn't reply. You fought tears as you patched Leon up. Ada helped, disinfecting the wound with a flask of whiskey she must keep on her. The two of you worked in complete silence. When you were done, you sat down on one side of Leon and Ada sat on the other. A leaking pipe echoed through the small hallway. It's monotonous beat steadied your heart rate. It was then you realized how much of a conversationalist Leon truly was, because without him, you and Ada had nothing to say. So you sat in silence until it became unbearable. It didn't take long.

"I just met him tonight, y'know," you began, "I was born in raccoon city, I grew up in raccoon city, all my friends and family lived in raccoon city," You let out a shaky out a breath, "They're gone now. I haven't known Leon for very long but he's all I've got."

Ada just looked down, she wasn't best with emotions and didn't know how to respond at first.

"He's going to be fine," She said after a while, "I don't think the bullet hit an artery." The room grew quiet again. She absentmindedly played with her black nails, you know she had only one thing on her mind. 

"You don't have to stay, I can take care of Leon. I know you want to go after Annette." You spoke up. She looked at you confused. "Just go, Ada. Go save the world." You smiled at her, a forced smile but a smile nonetheless. 

She hesitantly got up and took her trench coat off, revealing a skin tight red dress. How she could look so stylish in an apocalypse, you'd never know. She gently laid her trench coat on Leon's slumped body, careful to not disturb him. Then, she walked away. 

"Stay safe" you called to her.

"I know what I'm doing" she replied. She was still mean, but you could tell it was a crumbling act. You knew she never wanted to get to know you or Leon; she didn't want to get too attached. Maybe it was for the best. Neither yours nor Leon's odds were very good, but she had experience. She had a chance. She is an FBI agent after all, if anyone would survive this, it would be her. Still, you were getting through to her. And maybe, just maybe, she wasn't so bad after all.

The few minutes that passed since Ada left felt like hours. The hall was quiet except for the leaking pipe that dripped. And for once, you were safe. It was the first time all week you could be alone with your thoughts, though that can be a dangerous thing in itself. Survivor's guilt is one hell of a companion, and it's latched to you since this whole thing started. But you shook those thoughts away, for if these were your final moment, you wouldn't want to spend them being miserable. Instead, you thought about seeing your brother, who was a freshman in college and far, far away from the raccoon city outbreak. You hadn’t thought of him much since the outbreak, for you were too busy trying not to die, but you still felt guilty about it. You should’ve called him, but you figured he had seen the news by now. Oh how you dreaded having to explain what happened to him. Or worse, never getting to explain anything to him. 

"Y/N?" Leon spoke up from beside you, dragging you away from your thoughts. 

"Leon." You smiled as you looked down at him. The tears were welling in your eyes again, you didn’t know why but couldn't help it either. “I was afraid you left me alone with Ada" you joked. He gave a small laugh. A tear fell down you cheek; and Leon reached to wipe it away. His hands were cold and dirty, but it still comforted you. 

"Where is Ada ?" He asked, looking around.

"She went to find Annette." 

"We've got to help her." Leon groaned as he got up from the ground. You grabbed ahold of his good arm.

"Be careful, don't get up too fast!" He looked down at you, and you up at him. You never noticed how icy blue his eyes were. Blue eyes were never really your thing, but his were different. 

The trance broke. You let go of his arm and he cleared his throat. 

"You sure you're ok?" You asked, avoiding eye contact. 

"Never been better," So you and Leon went after Ada. Unfortunately, you didn't know which way she went. 

The cold sewer water sloshed against your hips and you fought hard to keep from shivering. The smaller, narrow tunnel you and Leon were trekking through opened up into a large, rectangular pool of waste complete with bridges and walkways above. Oh how you wished you could be walking up there instead of wading through smelly water filled with who knows what. Instead you and Leon were risking infection just for the slim chance you'd make it out alive. But hey, at least you had a chance.

There was movement on the side of metal walls, near one of the mounds of waste. You could barely make anything out through the darkness, so you pointed your flashlight towards the wall. What looked like trash or mold in the dark was a vibrant, gooey pink when it met the light. Then you noticed the pulsating. The stuff on the wall was alive. If you had eaten lunch, you would have lost it. 

"Leon?" You barely whispered. He turned around and looked at you. "Look at the walls"

Leon stepped toward the wall and stopped right beside you, his elbow grazing your arm. He flashed his flashlight against the wall, then his eyes went wide.

"What the hell?" he whispered. "Is that what I think it is?" 

"It's tissue," you answered. "I don't think it's a threat, but there's a whole lot of it." You flashed your flashlight across the rest of the wall to show him. Leon stared at it in silence, seemingly in thought.

"So do you want to pretend we didn't see it?" Leon suggested, "We should get going" 

"Yeah...," you said. Still, you couldn't look away from the pulsating flesh on the wall. It looked like some type of animal tissue, but it grew like a plant or fungus. Then, for a moment, it stopped pulsating.

"What is it doing?" You asked, looking closer. Had it died? It stayed completely still, a stark contrast from moments ago. 

Then, the tissue shot across the metal walls, rapidly generating new flesh. You shouted and jumped back. Leon caught your waist with his good arm, pulling you towards his side. He looked to you, and you to him; he looked just as horrified as you.

"Let's just forget about it," you said, he nodded. So that's what you did. His arm didn't leave your waist. 

"I think we should stay closer together, just in case," he suggested. 

"Yeah," you replied, feeling his fingers dig into your side, "that's a good idea." So you and him did that too. You were right to do so, because the two of you soon found out you weren't alone in the sewers. Battling sewer monsters wasn’t fun, but with Leon by your side, it wasn’t as that bad.

You and Leon found yourselves in a fully lit room. It looked to be an observation room, with a window that looked out at the sewage below. A low growl could be heard from outside the window, somewhere deep within the area below.

"I don't like the sound of that..." Leon said, mainly to himself. You hummed in agreement. Leon approached the window.

It was hard to see through the glass because of the reflections of the lights, so Leon placed his hand against the glass and peered under it. There was a figure laying at the base of a mound of trash, a figure in red with short, black hair. 

"Ada's down there!" Leon yelled, pointing his finger at the glass and looking back at you. You looked out the window and noticed her form, she was slumped against a mound of waste. 

"Is she hurt?" You asked, "Why isn't she moving?"

Leon looked closer and noticed a bubbling in the water, "There's something in there with her..."

"There's what!?"

"We've got to go, now!" He yelled, grabbing your wrist.

The hallways and rooms never seemed to end as you and Leon tried to find a way to Ada. Who knew a sewage treatment facility could be so complex. But then, you finally found it: the door that opened up into the chamber Ada was in. Leon flipped the switch, the metal door didn’t move.

"We need to turn the power on first," he said.

"And how do we do that?" You asked. 

"Switch on the generator." He said, looking around the room. "I bet it's in that room back there," he pointed towards a door a few yards behind you. 

Turning the power on was probably the easiest thing you had done all night, but the universe wasn't ready to give you a break yet. 

You reached for the door handle but hesitated, for you heard something. From above, loud footsteps approached your location. 

A hole was punched into the ceiling above you, scattering dust and debris. Then the large, clawed hand grabbed for your head.

"Y/N!" Leon yelled, pushing you out of the way and against the wall. From the hole in the ceiling above, you locked eyes with the creature. It was the same one you met earlier, at least you thought so, but it looked much less human this time. Then, the sound of his footsteps began again.

You grabbed Leon's wrist and ran across the room. It's claws came down when you had just stood, then the footsteps started again. The claws came down right next to Leon's head this time, barely missing him but knocking over a lantern in the process. 

Suddenly the room was illuminated by a bright orange light. Fire separated you and Leon from the door. Grey smoke swirled towards the ceiling, it and the heat choked you. Still, fire was the least of your worries. The creature still had you in its sights and it didn't seem like it was gonna let up any soon. 

Except it did. The footsteps stopped, the claws stopped, and it left you and Leon baffled. Leon tried to catch his breath, but choked on the hot smoke instead.

Then, the ground under you shook. And then a banging sound came from behind you. It came from a metal garage-like door at the back of the room. You slowly turned around. Something was beating against it, mangling the metal. The door was torn off its hinges and creature took a step inside the room.

You grabbed the shotgun from Leon's back and shot the creature in the face. It didn't do much, but it bought time. Just enough time for you and Leon to run around the creature and out the door. The cool air from the hall hit your face and you could finally breathe again. Still, there was no time to take a breather. The creature was much faster than you or Leon, but your head start kept just enough distance between you and it. The hall led to a bridge across the sewage water, and down to a platform with cargo containers. It was a dead end. You and Leon hid behind a large crate, listening to the creatures clawed footsteps come closer. You looked around for anything to save you in this instance. There were no weapons, no places to run, nothing. You looked below at the sewers, it was too high of a fall. Then, you noticed that the crate in front of you was levitating a few inches off of the platform. You looked up and saw it was connected to a crane that appeared to have a set, circular path. Beside you was a control panel. Putting the pieces together, you hoped this plan would work. You looked over to Leon, who was peering around the container.

"Leon," you whispered to him, "I think I have a plan." 

"Thank God. What is it?" He asked.

"See that crane? It has a route" You told him. He looked up, then back at you, and then to the control panel behind you. "If we keep it distracted, we could hit it with the crate."

"Do you really think thats gonna work?" He asked.

"Can you think of any other plan?" You asked. He stayed silent. "We've come too far to die now." 

"I really hope you're right." He said before running around the corner towards the creature. You looked at the control panel. Luckily, it had instructions written in fine black print on one side. It seemed as though you'd have to press the button once to take it to the other end of the route, and again to bring it back. At least thats what you hoped it meant. You pressed the button, and the container slowly lifted off of the platform. Blinding yellow caution lights started flashing from the corners of the platform, and along with it, an obnoxious beeping. It seemed to disorient the creature. 

But then it locked eyes with you. It's black, beady eyes held no emotion, only pure instinct. In one quick motion, it charged. You moved out of the way just in time.

"Hey ugly! Over here!" Leon yelled, pumping his shotgun. The creature turned and got a face-full of lead balls. It only affected the creature for a second before it came running toward Leon. 

The lights on the ground stopped flashing as did the beeping. The cargo container stopped moving at the end of the route and you ran to press the button again. 

"Leon! It's coming back around!" You yelled to him, but he was busy reloading his shotgun before the creature could get any nearer. They were both in the impact zone, but Leon would surely move out of the way, right? You watched the crate come nearer as Leon struggled with the monster. The flashing lights were back on now, practically blinding you as you tried to keep up with the battle. The container was moving fast and almost behind him now, and the creature blocked off his path to the other side. 

Then you realized: if he didn't move now, he would die. You couldn't let that happen, he was too young, too brave, too kind to die. Before you could even think about it, your legs were running across the platform and you tackled Leon out of the way. A mere moment later, the container slammed into the monster. It struggled to keep itself from falling, digging its nails into the edge of the platform, but it lost its grip. The creature fell into the pool below. 

You lifted your head up from Leon's neck, looking to see if the monster was truly gone. It was for now, at least. You took a few deep breaths, closing your eyes for a moment.

"Can't... breathe" Leon struggled from under you. You looked down and realized you were straddling his chest. 

"I'm so sorry!" You said, cheeks burning as you jumped off of him. He slowly got up. "Did I hurt you?" You asked.

"It's... I'm fine." He replied. "You saved me." 

"Are you sure I didn't hurt you?" You asked, touching his ribs. He winced again. You glanced up at him.

"It's fine. I'll walk it off."


	9. Chapter 9

"Ada, where are you?" Leon called into the abyss. 

The words "over here!" Echoed through the room. Within the darkness, he could only catch a glimpse of red. He ran over to where he saw it, his eyes adjusting to the lack of light. He could make out her arms, her legs, and finally her face. Then he saw the shrapnel. It’s metallic sides reflected the beam of light from his flashlight. He looked closer; it had torn through her pantyhose and was imbedded in her thigh.

"I can't get it out," Ada sighed shamefully. Leon kneeled down and gave her a look as if he were asking for permission. She rolled her eyes. “Oh, just do it already! I can't walk like this!" 

"Ok... It's gonna hurt," he replied. One hand rested on her thigh while the other gripped the piece of metal. He counted to three, then pulled it out as quick as he could. Ada tried hard not to show her pain, but a whimper still passed through her lips. “Hold on," Leon told her, rifling though his pocket for first aid supplies. He pulled out a roll of bandages and disinfectant and began tending to Ada’s wound.

You were just now turning the corner to where Leon and Ada were, since Leon had run ahead. Looking past the mound of garbage, you saw him bandaging her up. it wasn't an inherently romantic gesture, but it still felt off. Maybe it was something about the way he touched her, or maybe it was just jealousy. You shook that thought away, realizing you were blowing things out of proportion. It was probably nothing.

But then it wasn't nothing.

"You're not getting rid of me that easily," Leon moved closer to Ada. "You protected me, now it's my turn." You noticed he didn't say "us," he said "me." Leon held her hand and helped her up. "Grab my shoulder" he said.

"Don't push it, Rookie" she replied. He smirked. You could tell he enjoyed women who were hard to crack, women like Ada.

"Ok, just trying to help." he said, that stupid smile still hadn’t left his face.

You and him weren't a thing. You were just two people trying to survive the apocalypse. So him and Ada shouldn't have bothered you. But you felt the tension, and as much as you'd hate to admit it, you liked him. A lot. It wasn't professional, and you gave yourself hell for it, but maybe, if the two of you made it out, you would want something more. But with one flutter of her lashes, Ada beat you. 

"Y/N," Leon called. The two of them had just noticed you. "I found her," he smiled, your way this time.

"Great" you forced a smile back. 

There was a moment, just before Leon had said something to you, that your face held your true feelings. A micro-expression, if you'd even call it that. Leon didn't catch it, but Ada did, and she caught on quick.

"Let's go," Leon said, trying to help Ada walk, though she was refusing. 

"To where?" You asked. 

"If you two really want to help, then we've got to get to the NEST." Ada said, limping through the ankle-deep water as quick as she could. 

"The NEST?" Leon asked.

"Umbrella's lab, right beneath us" she replied. "Annette let it slip, that's where the virus samples are." 

You noticed that she would only made eye contact with Leon when talking, and he did the same. 

"You up for this?" Ada asked Leon. 

"Think I can't fit it in my schedule," he said, the corners of his mouth twisting into a smirk. 

You felt like you were going to throw up. 

"And how about you?" Ada called over to you. You hesitated a moment, surprised she acknowledged you. 

"What do I have to lose?" You said. It wasn’t a lie.

"Then come on. We've got work to do" So the three of you headed off. And you were now the unofficial third-wheel.

Ada held her wristband against the scanner, and the doors to the cable car opened. Leon headed inside and looked around the car. Ada trudged over to a bench, sitting down and resting her weight on her good leg. You just stood in the corner. You didn't want to get too close to Ada or Leon after what you had just seen, so you just looked down.

"This may be a one way ride, so be prepared, Leon." Ada spoke up. He pulled the lever on the control board anyway, starting the car's descent to the lab below. It was silent for a moment as Leon looked out the window of the cable car. 

"You know what I was thinking?" Leon began, "I can't wait for the FBI to raid umbrella headquarters and bring those bastards to justice!" He spoke to Ada.

"I agree... but to be clear, you're not working under official capacity," she looked at Leon, and glanced at you for a moment, before speaking again, "This is a federal case. Once we get the G-Virus, I'm back on my own" 

Leon clenched his jaw, looking away from her. He pondered what she said: So she wants help to get the virus but that's it? She just wants to be left alone and injured after the job is done? Of all people, an FBI agent should know that plan wouldn’t work. Unless she knew something he didn’t...

"Hey, Leon... trust me?" She asked as if she knew she said something wrong.  He bounded up the steps towards her. 

"You trust me?" He raised his voice; he already knew the answer.

"Honestly... If i didn't, you'd probably be dead," she said. A lie, you thought. 

"Right..." he said, unconvinced as well.

Ada felt her plan was beginning to crumble. When she first met you and Leon, she just wanted you out of her hair, but you both were so skillful and she realized that the two of you could be useful. Thought as much as she wanted to count on both of you for help, though, she could only trust Leon. Because Leon wanted to believe in good, in justice, and in the government. She hadn't known him very well, but he was clearly a rookie. He was too trusting, and that's what made him so special. You, on the other hand, had doubts from the beginning. Ada knew you wouldn't pull though, you asked too many questions. So, in the hope of saving her plan, she played the victim card.

"Look, I thought I might need your help, and I was right," she said, looking into Leon's eyes as if she were looking for any hint of pity. "If you can secure the G-Virus, then I can make sure what happens in raccoon city never happens again." She glanced in your direction, and with one look she knew you weren't buying it.

"Ada..." Leon began, sitting beside her, "you said it yourself. It's a federal case. Look, I already-"

"Leon, look at me." She interrupted him. She knew only one way to keep a man from asking questions. She also knew that this certain strategy would likely split you and Leon apart, which would play out better in her favor. She saw the look on your face when Leon and helped her with her leg, she saw the glances and felt the tension. She wasn’t stupid; she knew you liked him. But she liked her job, and that would always win over anyone’s feelings. She looked at you, and then back at Leon. "I'm a liability now," she said, feigning shame. "If I'm gonna finish this case you're the last hope I've got." 

You watched as she slid her hand over Leon's thigh, lightly squeezing as she looked into his eyes. She was playing him, you knew it. But it didn't hurt any less. He turned away slightly.

"I'm not just gonna leave you here, what if you're attacked?, what if you need help-" 

Ada cut him off again, this time pressing her lips against his. Her hands cupped the sides of his face, and she quickly glanced at you to see if you were looking. You were. And though the look in your eyes made her feel a little guilty, it was nothing she couldn't get over. 

Ada was sexy, smart, and such a horrible person. You knew it. You were right all along. She was nothing but a master manipulator and Leon was just the naive rookie who fell for it. You knew she didn't care for Leon, but you knew he cared for her. She won, and whatever plan she was up to he would help her with it. You never made a move on him because you knew everyone at the precinct would've called it irresponsible, but maybe if you had, Leon would trust you over Ada. He wasn't blameless in this either, and just as quick as your heart broke, the sadness was gone and replaced with anger.

Ada pulled away just as the cable car stopped moving, and once the door opened, you stormed out. 

"Y/N, wait!" He yelled, jumping up from his seat and following after you. Ada crossed her arms as she watched Leon walk away, she knew her plan worked. 

You heard his footsteps from behind you as you walked towards the automatic door entrance to the lab. Pressing the button, you hoped it would open quick enough that you could still avoid Leon. 

"For your safety, stand clear until the doors are fully open," an automated voice said. Great, there was more then one door. You crossed your arms. Just as the first one finished opening, the second one started, revealing a third door. Leon was behind you now.

"Y/N..." he began, trying to look into your eyes but your gaze fixed on the final door as it was opening. 

"I don't have an issue with you and Ada," you began, clearly a lie, "but she's using you and I can't believe you're letting her." 

He paused, processing what you just said, then gave a shocked laugh. “Oh, so she actually makes a move and you accuse her of using me?" He replied.

"How can you be so oblivious? She's been rude and condescending to us all night and now that you've proven yourself capable she wants a kiss?” You glared at him "she's using you to do her dirty work." The third door finally opened, and you walked into the dark facility.

"How can you be so sure?" He scoffed. You turned around, Leon was walking behind you. 

"Because I was a woman on the force. When I was tired of paperwork I'd just bat my lashes and Elliot or David would come help me," 

"So you manipulated them? Is that what you're trying to say?" 

"It's what she's doing to you. I hate that you can't see it!" You glared at him. The lab was dark, so you couldn't tell the expression on his face. He stood silent for a moment, leaving you in anticipation for his reaction. 

"And so what if she's using me?" He began, crossing his arms. "The government needs the sample and Ada's too injured to get it. It's up to us now. I'm sorry she kissed me, but we should talk about that later. Let’s just get the sample and get the hell out of here. It’s useless to argue about it.” 

You knew he was right, and as much as you wanted to stay angry at him, you knew it wasn't going to achieve anything.  

"Fine," You said, "but you better be right. I still don't trust her." He laughed.

"Oh I know you don’t.” he said, walking past you. The lights of the lab turned on from the sudden motion, and you could finally see your surroundings. You were in a lobby, seemingly untouched by the chaos that brought down the rest of the city. The automated voice began speaking again. "Welcome to nest, enjoy your visit!"

So this was Umbrella’s secret lab, from just the looks of the lobby, it was a very expensive facility. The walls and floors were tiled white and still shone like they were just cleaned. 

You walked over to the receptionist desk, stepping behind it and looking around. There wasn't much on the desk except for the PC and a flash drive, the PC was still on. You swiveled the mouse, waking up the PC and let your curiosity get the best of you. Most of the files were encrypted, but lucky for you the attendance log was still open. You looked over the names, times, and dates and something seemed wrong about them. Maybe it was because the file was oddly named the "nap room log" or maybe it was because the last person, Wayne Li, never left. You looked back down at the flash drive again and it hit you: whatever is on Umbrella’s servers, it could bring them to justice. So you saved the log, hopefully you'd find out what it means. 

"You almost done?" Leon asked, waiting for you to finish. You ignored him and pulled the drive out of the computer. "Silent treatment, huh?" 

"Not silent treatment, just selective speech"   
You replied, hiding the flash drive in your pocket. 

"You look done to me. Let’s get going." He said, waiting expectantly. 

"What are you in a rush for? You can't wait to see Ada again?" You mocked him.

"I just want to get out of this city as quick as I can," he said. You sighed, one thing he was good at was diffusing a situation. He gestured for you to come with him, and you did. The two of you fell into a tense silence. 

The hallways, though fully lit and perfectly clean, were unsettling. Maybe it was like the calm before the storm, you thought. You held onto your gun a little tighter than before. 

You were right about the calm before the storm, because turning a corner changed it all. Blood was everywhere, on the floor, the walls, and when you looked up, you froze. Blood was on the ceiling too, along with claw marks. You grabbed Leon's arm, pulling him back. 

"Hey" he said. you threw your hand over his mouth, it was too late. Claws could be heard scratching against the ceiling as not only one, but two Lickers galloped toward you. Leon grabbed you and ran out of the way, hiding in the corner of the hall. Just a moment later, the lickers were where you previously stood. Leon pulled you toward him, one arm around your waist and one on the back of your head, pushing you into his chest. You shut your eyes tight, burying your face into his shirt. You could hear his heart beat, strong and quick and loud, oh so loud. You prayed that they couldn't hear it. Or yours, which you bet was beating just as loud. Leon's shirt muffled your quick breathing, but he himself wasn't so lucky.

Leon watched as the two lickers listened for a sound. They were just feet away now. Any sudden movements, and you both would be dead before you even had the chance to pull out a gun. He so badly wanted to close his eyes, but he couldn't take them off the creatures. He could finally take a good look at them, though he wished he didn’t. They looked like creatures that had just crawled from hell, with all of their juicy tendons and muscles on the outside of their bodies. He tried to control his ragged breathing and his gag reflex, but it each step the lickers took made it harder for him. 

You heard his heartbeat quicken even more. This must be the end, you thought. And though Leon couldn't save you, You dug your fingers into the sides of his shirt anyway. Leon held his breath, but you could still hear his heart pounding in his chest. 

After what felt like an eternity, the lickers made their way back down the hallway and around another corner. Leon slumped his shoulders and let go of the breath he was holding. His arms found his way back to his sides. You quickly separated from him, looking anywhere but his face. It wasn't until you let go, though, that you realized how comfortable that position was. 

Leon locked eyes with you, and for a second he gave you a smile, the same cocky, teasing smile he showed Ada just a little while ago. Your heart skipped a beat. But he liked Ada, and there was no denying that. You crossed your arms and turned away from him. Still, no matter what you did, you couldn't stop thinking about that embrace. Stupid Leon with his stupid perfect body and his stupid perfect face and his stupid cute personality.

You shook those thoughts away, for you know you had to face those lickers again to get the sample. You looked down at your watch, 3:47 am. This night was far from over.


End file.
